A Fun Technique x 3

Hi everyone and welcome back!

After attending a virtual Demonstrator only zoom class last weekend, I had a crazy week. In order to complete all the challenges, I thirteen different techniques to complete and post. Whew!

The retiform technique, which I'm going to introduce today, has been around as long as rubber stamping. In my first example (the soft suede/brown one), you'll see it has a old-timey look, which is how this technique started off. Since our tastes vary as much as the colours of the Stampin' Up! rainbow, I decided to try some other colours and less traditional stamp sets. Whether you decide to put the greeting into the design or add separately, is up to you. The sky's the limit! Do what brings you joy.

 

 

The stamp set used in this one (above) was the Dragonfly Garden, with Early Espresso & Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pads on Soft Suede Cardstock. The greeting, which was punched out and backed with the Double Oval Punch, came from the Oval Occasions (which is about to retire) so be sure to order it before month end. I finished off this one with a Soft Suede Blends coloured Basic Pearl Jewel and the Very Vanilla 3/8" Scalloped Lace Trim. (This card front is Basic Vanilla.)

 

 

 

On this one (above) I used the Friends are Like Seashells stamp set with Bermuda Bay and Coastal Cabana Classic Stampin Pads. My matte is Bermuda Bay Cardstock and the card base is Coastal Cabana Cardstock. Using the Simply Elegant Trim and a large Rhinestone Basic Jewel, I completed the card.

 

And last but not  least, the Hey Birthday Chick stamp set made this fun card possible. I used Mango Melody & Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pads. The card base is Melon Mambo Cardstock. Finishing the card off, I coloured a few Rhinestone Basic Jewels with the Melon Mambo Blends.

One of the neat things about this technique is that it's great for people who don't have a lot of product yet. It's next level #simplestamping. The only special equipment you need are our Blending Brushes, and some post-it notes. Other than the punched out greeting, in each of my examples I used only two colours and one stamp set.

If you're new to layering colours, try it on some scraps of your Basic White cardstock first. Tip: Make sure to tap off some of the ink on a piece of scrap paper before putting it on your project. Slowly pull the ink in. You can always add more but you can't take it off. Be careful with your post-its, they can transfer ink.

Normally I put a lot of thought into my designs. For the first two cards, the process was very organic/random. (Hard work for a recovering perfectionist.) Since I was using two very different colours, the slimline card was a little more intentional. 

Start with your Basic White or Vanilla Cardstock. Use a size slightly smaller than your card front. For a standard card, that would be 4" x 5 1/4" or 3 3/4" x 5". Frame off an area to with your post it notes. Tap or gently rub your Blending Brush directly onto the ink pad. Then tap off onto your scrap paper and then start colouring by making little circles. You don't need a lot of pressure, especially with darker colours. Here's how it looks when I'm starting. Apply the base ink first and then stamp your images.

Using a different stamp, repeat the process with different coloured or different amounts of the same ink. You can use the same stamps over again on the card. The spaces can be as large or small as you like. Repeat this until you've filled the card. 

Finish your project off by matting it and adding ribbon a/o other embellishments. Have fun with this! If you have any questions, please message me. I'm always happy to help.

Remember the Mini Catalogue retires June 30th. There are a LOT of Last Chance items to be had, many of them on sale. Items are while supplies last. 

Please visit my store. On orders under 200, please use the current host code, found under the image of the catalogue (to the right of this post.) If your order is around the 100 mark, consider becoming a member of this fabulous card sisterhood! (Although we have a few brothers too.)

Follow me on  Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. If you need any premade items, my new website is here. It is still a work in progress but you can see some examples of what I have for sale. Custom orders are always welcome.

Cheers,

Adrienne